Volunteer Day Autumn 2023

Volunteer Day (Autumn 2023)

On a bright, crisp Saturday morning in mid October, an enthusiastic band of parents, children and staff arrived at Itchen Abbas Primary School. Laden with tools and machinery suitable for any eventuality, work began on creating the school’s first dedicated sensory garden as well as the regeneration of the growing space.


The gardening corner has been nestling at the school for many years. At one time it was tended by local people from the community and more recently has been the site for ‘Wild Kids Dig’, run by Sophie Rogers, also a parent at the school.


The idea to create a sensory garden has been germinating for some time. Gaining in popularity and becoming a familiar concept, these gardens allow visitors to enjoy a wide variety of sensory experiences, stimulating and engaging the five basic senses in a myriad of ways. Carefully chosen plants can be combined with seating, sensitive landscaping and tactile features. Interactive components invite the visitor to play whilst evoking a sense of wonder and exploration. The origins of the sensory garden lie in the tradition of physic gardens or apothecaries’ gardens, stretching back a number of centuries. Their collections of healing herbs and aromatic plants induced a sense of calm that soothed the spirit. 


The desire to create this type of space at Itchen Abbas School is fuelled by the phenomenal benefits that these gardens can provide to children. A 2015 study shows that children who are exposed to greener outside environments are more likely to demonstrate less aggression and mental stress. Outdoor learning environments have shown to enhance children’s educational development, their attitude towards nature, behaviour in and out of the classroom and their social development. Sensory gardens can be used as a learning tool as well as providing a relaxing and calming space for a child who may feel overwhelmed. For Itchen Abbas school it has also been about taking advantage of the abundance of space available to provide the children with another area, a rather special one, in which to play, explore, learn, relax and encourage that connection with nature.


The volunteer day got off to a great start with everyone working together to clear the area that nature had been gradually reclaiming. It was immensely heartening to see the area evolving so quickly and before long, four raised beds had been filled, painted and surrounded with woodchip. A large leaf store was built from used pallets and flowerbeds were prepared, ready for planting. A great many prickles, imposters and plants out of place were pruned, clipped, trimmed and relocated. Exciting finds were made. A rampant grapevine that had laid claim to much of the flowerbed, thought to be all leaves and tendrils, was found to be filled with small bunches of sweet, dark grapes. A ceramic plaque engraved with William Blake’s ‘Auguries of Innocence’ was unearthed and given a new home beneath the crab apple tree. Boughs of crimson rose hips were discovered and left in place until after the next frost to make into vibrant, vitamin rich syrup.
Mr Bogan, headmaster at the school was also present on the day, keeping up morale with bacon rolls and cups of tea. He says “We will be using two of the raised beds as part of a long term science project for each class, planting a variety of different plants and observing how they change over the year”.


The remaining two beds as well as flower beds will become the sensory garden area. These are now ready to be planted up with whispering grasses, scented plants, edible herbs and many flowers. The majority of the flowers will be planted in spring and will include blooms that can be used well beyond the growing season for creative projects. Everlasting flowers such as statice and helichrysum with their vibrant, paper like petals. Peppermint, lavender, rosemary and sage, all poised for planting. Unlikely bed fellows perhaps, chocolate cosmos, peppermint geranium, curry plants and plump succulents all coming together to delight and entice the senses. The remains of a wooden activity trail are to be painted and repurposed and will form a peaceful seating area.


It is the very beginning for this little garden and it will be delightful to see how it grows and comes into it’s own over the coming months and years.


This is very much a community project and enormous thanks from the school goes to all the parents and children who worked so hard at the volunteer day. We have been deeply touched by the boundless generosity of local people who have offered and donated plants to bring this new garden to fruition as well as the businesses, Apsley Farms, Wickes, Sydenhams, Homebase and St Cross Interiors who have so kindly donated much of the soil and infrastructure necessary for this project. Thank you!

If you would like to support the development of the sensory garden in any way, please contact admin@itchenabbas.org.uk


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